Russian or Soviet skaters had dominated the pairs event by winning gold at 12 successive Olympics stretching back to the 1964 Innsbruck Games but on Monday they were completely knocked off the podium after Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov both crashed to the ice in their free program.

Natalya Komarova, a member of the ruling United Russia party, was approved unanimously and will become the country's second female governor ever — after St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko — when she takes office March 1.